In connection with internal combustion-engines it is already known to add water to the gasoline, which results in a fuel saving. For this purpose, a dispersion of fuel and water must be produced which is supplied to the combustion chamber in place of the pure fuel.
It has already been proposed to provide for the finished dispersion at petrol stations and to deliver the dispersion to correspondingly equipped vehicles. In this case, the dispersion is already produced in the refinery either by high pressure spraying or by means of supersonic dispersers. Such a dispersion can simply be produced and is of an excellent quality and allows a fuel saving up to approximately 35 percent. However, there exist numerous drawbacks which have forbidden up till now utilization of this system in practice. For example, the petrol stations must be equipped with separate tanks for storing this dispersion, noting that these tanks must consist of rust-proof materials in consideration of the corrosive action of the dispersion. Storing of the dispersion in these tanks is equally accompanied by problems, because the dispersions are, on the one hand, not freeze-proof and thus only suitable for being stored at temperatures down to approximately -3.degree. C. and have, on the other hand, an only limited storageability because the dispersion dissociates into its components after some time. Furthermore, the whole fuel system, including the fuel tank, of motor vehicles operated with such dispersions must be produced of corrosion-resistent material and must be replaced in existing vehicles. Finally, the great amounts of exhaust steam emitted by the exhaust equipment result in a deterioration of the environments. A further drawback of this system has its origin in the fact that all motor vehicles must be operated with a dispersion having one and the same ratio of fuel to water, because the petrol stations can only deliver such dispersions having a definite ratio of fuel to water.
It has also been proposed to supply to the combustion chambers of internal combustion engines not only fuel or, respectively, via a carburator a fuel-air-mixture but also water by an additional carburator or by an additional injection equipment. Also in this manner, a fuel saving up to approximately 40 percent can be achieved. In this case it is disadvantageous that an additional equipment must be provided in the shape of a second carburator or, respectively, an additional injection equipment and that, furthermore, a second tank must be provided for the water, which second tank must have considerable dimensions and results in filled condition in a substantial increase of the vehicle weight, because the necessary amount of water is substantially greater than the amount of fuel. A further disadvantage has its origin in the fact that distilled water must be used because normal tap water would within short result in clogging the nozzles within the carburator system or injection system. The use of distilled water results in an increase of the operating costs, so that--on account of a substantial amount of water being required--the savings in fuel costs are neutralized to a great extent.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,512 there has further become known a fuel supply system in which the condensate obtained on cooling the hot exhaust gases and vapours is emulsified with the fuel and the emulsion obtained is supplied to an internal-combustion engine by means of an injection pump. The drawback of this known arrangement is the heat loss resulting on condensation of the steam within the exhaust system. This condensation heat corresponds to the heat of vaporization which is extracted from the combustion gases. This is the reason on account of which the known arrangements have in the mixing ratio an upper limit for the water of approximately 50 percent. If the mixing ration is increased above this value, the efficiency is reduced again.